A Common-Sense Guide to Data Structures and Algorithms in JavaScript, Volume 1

Chapter 3O Yes! Big O Notation

We’ve seen in the preceding chapters that the primary factor in determining an algorithm’s efficiency is the number of steps it takes.

However, we can’t simply label one algorithm a “22-step algorithm” and another a “400-step algorithm.” This is because the number of steps an algorithm takes cannot be pinned down to a single number. Let’s take linear search, for example. The number of steps linear search takes varies, as it takes as many steps as there are elements in the array. If the array contains 22 elements, linear search takes 22 steps. If the array contains 400 elements, however, linear search takes 400 steps.

The more effective way, then, to quantify the efficiency of linear search is to say that linear ...